What Do Excavation Contractors Do?

Wondering what does an excavation contractor do? You may have heard of the saying “move heaven and earth.” If you’re looking to move the latter, earth, you’ll likely want to work with excavation contractors. When it comes to moving and grading soil, excavation contractors can use heavy machinery to get the job done quickly and professionally.

Sometimes excavation contractors are called excavators. However, “excavator” can also refer to a specific piece of equipment, an “excavator.” That said, excavation contractors can use other types of equipment, such as bulldozers. With that in mind, let’s answer the question, "What do excavators do?" and look at the types of projects they work on.

Excavation Contractors Are Vital for the Construction Industry

If you visit a construction site, there’s a good chance you’ll see excavation contractors or at least their handy work. Most of the time, land needs to be prepared before construction can begin. This is typically true whether you’re building a house, a skyscraper, a bridge, or whatever else.

When you think of construction, your mind’s eye may first focus on the structure itself, say a house or apartment complex. Yet before the foundation can be laid or the first walls put up, you’ll typically need an excavation contractor to level or otherwise rework the earth.

You may have heard the term “breaking ground” before. When a new construction project starts, often the first step is literally to start digging into the earth. Typically, soil will be removed to allow for a foundation and perhaps a basement to be dug out. The earth may also be leveled as construction often requires flat ground. Excavation contractors may also pack the earth in, making the soil denser, which can aid construction.

Excavation Work Outside of Construction

You’ll find excavation contractors working on other projects as well. For example, if pipes or underground electrical wires need to be run, an excavation specialist can dig the trenches. They can also dig ditches for irrigation, drainage, and along roadways. If we didn’t have excavation contractors and the heavy equipment they use, flooding would probably be much more common.

Often, soil will need to be removed from a site completely. If you dig a basement or a hole to install a pool, you’ll likely want the soil removed from the site completely. This often involves loading it up onto heavy trucks that can then cart the excess soil away. Without excavation contractors, even seemingly simple projects could become major undertakings.

Many excavation workers can also perform work with heavy machinery that falls outside of excavation work. For example, they may be able to demolish houses and other structures using the same excavators, bulldozers, and other equipment. Likewise, they can use this equipment to remove trees, bushes, boulders, and other things.

Ultimately, the tools and heavy machinery excavation contractors use are diverse and flexible. As a result, the projects excavation contractors work on are also often diverse. If you need to move or reshape the land, there’s a good chance that an excavation contractor can get the job done.

Categorised in: Excavation Company